Age & Sex: 1 yr. old Female	UTD: Yes
Weight:  40 lbs.	Other Dogs: Yes
Color: Fawn	Cats: No
Ears: Cropped	Children: Under 5: ?     Over 5: Yes
Tail: Docked	Professional Training Required: Yes
Spayed: Yes	Microchipped: ?
Owner Surrender	Location: Stony Brook, NY
Adoption Donation $300 Special Requirements:  Fenced in yard and experienced Boxer Owner

12/18/08 - Sophie was adopted today.  Her new family came and picked her up this afternoon.  I know she is going to make them very happy. Sophie will have a big brother to play with in her forever home, and she will provide lots of boxer wiggles and kisses to her new family.  We feel very blessed to have spent the past 3 months with her and are excited for her to have a fresh start, a new lease on life. Way to go Sophie!

12/17/08 - Sophie is pending adoption

11/29/08 - Great news! Sophie had her surgery and it was successful. The biopsy came back negative. It turned out to be a cyst and not cancer. She had her staples removed and she is back to her old self againJ.  She was a little slow the first few days, but perked up quickly. It was a challenge to keep her calm while she was recovering, but I think she knew that the more she rested, the sooner she could run and play again. During the ten days until the staples were removed we only took her for short “business” walks and utilized the crate to keep her from being active with Watt and Jessie. We have slowly got back to a normal routine of long walks, active play time and of course boxer snuggles. Way to be a trooper Sophie!
We have made more progress with her separation issues. She can now be left alone (crated) with very little problems. Very minimal barking and whining when we are not around.
Sophie has gotten to know what a proper greeting is and how to do it. She still has a tendency to jump to say hello, but she is accepting people coming and going.
Sophie’s leash manners are also improving. She does bark at people on our walks, but she just wants to say hello. She calms down when she is able to greet them, or will relax if we just continue on our way. (out of site, out of mind). 
It has been a busy past week at our house. My parents and my oldest brother are visiting with us and have been very helpful in helping Sophie. She and my dad have won the award for best snuggling team. My parents brought their dog, a 6 yr old shih tzu  and Sophie has been pretty good around him. We keep the leash on her when they are together. Sometimes she wags her tail and will sniff him, and other times she will try and nip at him. This is the first time we have had her interact with a small dog, so we are taking advantage of the time that my parents are here to work with Sophie regarding small dogs. As of right now, a home with a small dog might not be appropriate for Sophie, but I think that with some more work that it could be an option.  She is not as fixated on this dog as she still is with our cat.  We have had numerous people here over the holiday weekend and Sophie has been great! Much more than we could have hoped for.
Yesterday Sophie had her picture taken with Santa. Everyone in the store wanted to take her home, and Santa just loved her. She was very happy sitting in his lap. Sophie told Santa that all she wanted for the holidays was a forever home with people who will love her and take care of her. Hopefully her wish will come true soon!

11/2/08 - Sorry it’s been a while since we’ve given an update on Ms. Sophie. When we she came to us, she had a growth under one of her nipples. We were told to watch it and if it hadn’t subsided in a couple of weeks we should make an appointment with our vet and have it looked at. Well there was no change and after having our vet examine her,  Sophie is going to have the growth removed and have a biopsy done. She will be going upstate for her surgery this Thursday. Please send your good thoughts and prayers that it is not cancer and that Sophie will be up and running in no time. We have grown quite  attached to her in the short time she’s been with us. Sophie has really become one of our pack. She is continuing to make progress across the board. She is getting much better on our walks. She is learning what a proper greeting at the door is supposed to be, and is handling her alone time without much of a fuss. We are still working on her “issues” with the cat. I still would recommend a forever home that does not have a cat until we can be sure that they can coexist without any problems.

Since my last post I have found out a few new things about this cute little girl. I have discovered that she doesn’t like the lawn mower. I was out cutting the grass and she started barking and lunging at the mower. With a little work I’m positive we can help her get rid of this irrational fear. Also she was out of my sight for a moment and had taken the soap out of the shower and was having a late day snack. All was well with her afterwords, but you need to stay on top of her at all times. At bedtime she has been snuggling with our guys on the dog bed rather than being in her crate.  She really likes a good snuggle(what boxer doesn’t) and gives off a lot of heat for such a small girl. Great if you’re trying to save on those winter heating bills.

Sophie has started to show more interest with toys. She really enjoys nyla bones and tug toys. Her and Watt have tug of wars that seem to go on forever.  All in all she is getting along great with our guys. There are no problems at feeding time, and there haven't been any “arguments” with our female in the last two weeks. I think Sophie can adapt to a home with another dog even if it is a dominant dog provided you know how to be a solid pack leader.

Sophie loves to go in the car. Whenever we take her she hops right and never gives us any trouble. If she could, she would prefer to be riding in the front with us, but she settles into the back and doesn’t seem to mind. She likes to sniff the air when the window is cracked open.

As I write this all 3 dogs are nestled in front of the fire relaxing without a care in the world. Boxers are the best.

I will keep everyone informed when Sophie comes back from the vet this week. In the meantime please send all of your good energy toward this girl in the next few days.

10/12/08 - Sophie is a ball of boxer energy! She has really adjusted to life at home with our pack.
Our routine has been a long walk early in the morning, play sporadically during the day, and a long walk in the evening before dinner.  As much energy as she has, she never refuses a good snuggle, or chance to relax when afforded the opportunity. She does have some separation anxiety that we have been addressing.  Sophie enjoys the solitude of her crate and will go in on her own accord to take a nap. She will even sleep in one of the other crates if the spirit moves her. Sometimes I will find her sleeping w/one of our guys in their crate, and a few times, her and Jessie (our dominant female) will be curled up together in her crate.
Sophie and Jessie have had a few “arguments” over the last few weeks, but overall she is good with dogs. She has met a few of the dogs in the neighborhood and seems to be fine as long as the introductions are done properly (neutral territory, on lead, and no food or toys). Since she is a dominant dog, Sophie would be best suited in a home with strong leadership. She can be with another dominant dog in the house, but needs someone who can take charge and be in control at all times. Cats are another story. Sophie can’t be in a home with a cat. She has an extremely high prey drive (more than I’ve seen in any other dog). We need to keep her separate from our cat at all times.
Sophie met my nephew last week and was great with him. He is 8yrs old and has some experience already on how to greet dogs and act around them. After her curiosity was peeked, it was business as usual (tail wags and boxer kisses). Although this has been her only real interaction with a child off leash, she was on her best behavior. She has met other kids on our walks and is excited to say hello, but she likes to jump to say hello, so again she needs strong leadership and guidance to let her know what an acceptable greeting should be. 
Sophie has an issue with water. Given the chance she will drink a whole bowl and act like she hasn’t had a drink in months. We have been giving her limited access and only let her drink under supervision. I don’t think it’s a medical issue as I have had boxers in the past drink like this. She does pee a lot, but is completely house trained.
Sophie is getting much better on our walks. When we first got her, she had no leash manners. Now she is walking much better, but her independent spirit still has her wanting to pull out in front. She will respond to a “leash correction”, but sometimes her focus on a scent or distraction is just too much and she loses focus on who is walking who. Sophie seems to enjoy moving fast on a walk. If you are a runner, this is the ultimate partner for you. Because my knees are in such bad shape, I’m not a candidate.
Sophie is an adorable, lovable little girl. The pictures don’t do her justice. Given an owner who will devote the time and energy she needs along with what Cesar Milan preaches “rules, boundaries and limitations,” Sophie will make a great addition to someone’s home.

10/3/08 - Sophie has been with us for 10 days and is settling in quite nicely. Wow, is this girl cute. She is so tiny but she has a big personality. She is getting along just fine with our two boxers, but the cat is a different story. Her forever home probably shouldn’t have a cat. Sophie is very active and loves to go for walks. She was obviously not leashed trained but is now learning to be well mannered on a leash. Sophie would do best in a home with people who will make sure she gets the exercise she needs. She will really thrive in a forever home with strong human leadership and a fenced-in yard. She is very comfortable with the crate, and she is completely house trained. Sophie is an adorable, sweet girl who will make a great companion for an experienced dog owner. She is probably not the right match for a rookie.